Basketball New Zealand

Bench spark-plug Dillon Boucher could be critical to the NZ Breakers extending their winning streak to four games on Thursday night (Photosport)

Marc Hinton, Fairfax Media
If Dillon Boucher has any more get-up-and-go to give in that Energizer Bunny makeup of his, he may need it when his New Zealand Breakers host the Adelaide 36ers looking for a fourth straight Australian National Basketball League victory.

To do so the Breakers are going to have to overcome the absence of their southpaw sixth man Phill Jones, who has been suspended a match for “striking” Perth Wildcat Shawn Redhage in a tempestuous match at the NSEC a week ago.

Which is where Boucher comes in.

The man with the indefatigable approach and indomitable attitude may in fact have an even more important role this week against a 36ers side that will be unrecognisable from the rabble that lost by 38 points at the same venue back in round three.

This time the 36ers will have American Adam Ballinger, Aussie point guard Aaron Bruce and Tall Black Paora Winitana, all of whom missed that match with injury. And with Jones’ deadly shot and calm presence absent across the court, the 3-5 Sixers may sense an upset chance against the 7-2 Breakers.

Boucher prides himself on being the “do what it takes man” for the Breakers. That is to say he inevitably rolls his sleeves up and gets down and dirty for the good of the team. The man can barely shoot the basketball, yet is one of the most respected players in this league because he rebounds like a demon, plays defence like he’s playing for his life and has court smarts like you wouldn’t believe.

When star point guard CJ Bruton was being recruited by the Breakers he told them they needed to also go out and get a player like Boucher. The New Zealanders went one better and actually got Boucher. Smart man that Bruton.

Boucher, who is sort of a Kiwi Dennis Rodman, says he sees his role as coming in off the bench to provide a lift for his team.

Against the Wildcats last week he had 11 points, nine boards, four assists and three steals. Plus he D’d the heck out of everyone he faced and helped totally change the game after the starters made a sluggish start.

“I thought we were lacking in physicality and that’s something I feel like I can bring to the game,” Boucher told Fairfax Media. “And our defensive intensity has needed to be improved in every game this year and that’s something I know I can bring. Plus I try to bring energy and enthusiasm as well.”

Boucher is one of those guys you love to play with and hate to come up against. Again, like The Worm.

His team-mate, 613-game NBL veteran Tony Ronaldson, who’s seen more than most in this league, says you can never over-estimate the value of a player like Boucher.

“Energy is a massive thing he brings, and he’s pretty fearless,” says Ronaldson. “He’s worth his weight in gold at the moment. He’s playing great basketball, and we need to feed off that.

Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis puts it even more succinctly: “He keeps finding ways to help us win. He does all those little things.”

He weighed in with six points and six rebounds in the weekend’s 106-97 win at Townsville.

Boucher has clearly embraced his role and says he, Jones, Paul Henare and Tim Behrendorff – the Breakers’ bench mob – all try and bring something extra to the court when they get the nod from Lemanis. It goes without saying they pride themselves on their ability to actually lift performance when they come in for starters.

Boucher acknowledges that everyone is going to have to pick up the slack left by Jones’ absence, and warns that the 36ers will not roll over like they did last time they were in town.

“They’ve just come off a big win against Sydney, they’re probably feeling pretty good about themselves. I’m sure they will want to make amends for last time they were in town. They’ll come out and try to be a bit more physical, play a bit more defence. I expect a tough game, and this league’s so topsy-turvy at the moment any team can beat anybody.”

And in terms of the Jones boy’s absence?

“It’s a chance for Adam Tanner to step up, maybe Thomas Abercrombie to get some time there in the guard spot, and Corey Webster as well. Who knows what Andrej will have to resort to,”

Boucher, though, likes the signs he’s seeing from the Breakers this campaign. They found a way to win last week against the Wildcats when they probably shouldn’t have, then went and grabbed their second straight across the ditch when they outplayed the Crocs in a tough place to do so.

“It starts right from the top and owner Paul Blackwell has set this club up fantastically, which flows down,” says Boucher. “This really is a happy unit right now, and the players are a happy unit. That’s the sign of a good team. And between the lines if you can get it going then everything else is taken care of.”

NZ Breakers: CJ Bruton, Kirk Penney, Oscar Forman, Tony Ronaldson, Rick Rickert, Paul Henare, Dillon Boucher, Tim Behrendorff, Adam Tanner, Corey Webster, Thomas Abercrombie.

Adelaide 36ers: Aaron Bruce, Paora Winitana, Brad Hill, Luke Schenscher, David Cooper, Jacob Holmes, Mark Tyndale, Brad Davidson, Erik Burdon, Adam Ballinger.